Akihiko Tanaka
Akihiko Tanaka '(英治丸山, Tanaka Akihiko '') is the lieutenant of the 6th Division in the Gotei 13 under Captain Masahiro Matsunaga. He has a somewhat strained relationship with his captain, often trying to seek approval for his work and determination, only to be later dismissed by Captain Matsunaga. He currently resides in the Bleach: War of Souls universe. Appearance Akihiko is an effeminate looking young Shinigami of lean build and average height. He keeps himself clean and organized, braiding his long pale pink hair into a tail instead of letting it flow freely. His eyes are a steel grey shown through narrowly opened eyelids and very small eyebrows. Akihiko's skin is quite fair and soft, hinting that he treats it regularly with lotions or oils. He wears the standard Shinigami robes with the 6th Division's lieutenant armband on his left arm. Other than the traditional attire of a Shinigami, the only difference is a high colored shirt worn under it similar to the one that Chōjirō Sasakibe had. He also wears fingerless white tekkou that cover only the back of his hands, and tie off under his middle finger. These extend all the way up his arm and stop just below his elbow but are pimarily covered by the sleeves of his robes. Personality Akihiko conducts himself in a mature and serious manner, matching similar personality traits to that of his captain. He calm, collected and calculating, analyzing his opponents before engaging in combat and approaches battle with a level head. This allows him to pace himself and denying fear to overtake him. He greatly detests the notion of fear and hesitation, and is deeply devoted to his captain and the Gotei 13, dismissing those weaker than him as merely an obstacle. This puts him at odds with other Shinigami who view him as being arrogant and mean at times. Though this doesn't stop the more free-spirited lieutenants to invite him out for drinks regardless. Even though he despises alcohol, he'll still surprise others by attending and order tea as substitute. In terms of his relationship with his captain, Akihiko is extremely loyal to him, going as far as tracking Matsunaga's attacker alone in hopes of getting revenge. He tries very hard to seek approval from him, doing his absolute best at any mission or task in hopes to be recognized for it. Akihiko will also quickly jump in to defend his captain at a moment's notice, be a physical confrontation or verbal dispute, which can lead to Captain Matsunaga to step in and scold the young Shinigami. Even if his captain were to face an opponent, he would first step in to fight on his behalf. He also possesses a high level of resolve and determination. Regardless of the number of opponents or their power, Akihiko never backs down and will press on, as evident while fighting against two Arrancars single-handedly. History Coming Soon. Plot *Something Wicked This Way Comes Powers & Abilities '''Zanjutsu Expert: Akihiko has shown to be a highly proficient swordsman, capable of taking on two Arrancar (Inigo Guillén and Ballesteros Tibor) at the same time and managing to prevail. He fights primarily in a two-handed form, favoring thrusting technigues and downward strikes, but is known to be quite fluid and graceful in his movements. Many of his attacks appear effortless in their actions and combines a great level of agility in his style. This allowed him to defend and dodge against simultaneous attacks from two Arrancar, while still being able to attack. While in Shikai, his style of fighting changes to adapt to its new form. He primarily keeps the blade spinning, not only to accumulate power through its special ability, but to also keep his opponents at bay. Because of its size and shape, Akihiko has stated that his Zanpakutō is difficult to wield and must maintain a high level of concentration to track its movements, especially when transitioning from one attack to another. Kidō Expert: '''Akihiko has some talent in Kido as he was able to cast 2 mid-level spells without incantation, and still had considerable force behind them. While using '''Bakudō # 30. Shitotsu Sansen Akihiko was able to pin a Fraccion-level Arrancar to the ground while striking another with Hadō #31. Shakkahō. He can been seen weaving these spells during combat without much effort against multiple targets to create openings for counterattacks or to momentarily immobolize them to create a space for regrouping. Hohō Expert: Akihiko possesses expert skill in Shunpo as he was able to keep up with two arrancar while fighting them simultaneously. He can combine his skills in this area with his swordsmanship to dodge incoming attacks and avoid potentially devastating attacks. His skill in this area is comparable to other lieutenants and moves with expert grace and ellegance. Enhanced Durability: As evident from his fight with Inigo and Ballesteros, he was seen taking a great deal of physical punishment and continued to fight. He was able to survive being knocked into several stone pillars and a powerful energy blast from Ballesteros. This demonstrates that his body is able to absorb physical damage much more effeciently than other lower ranked Shinigami. High Spiritual Power: Being a lieutenant of the Gotei 13, Akihiko boasts a high amount of spiritual energy that manifests itself in the form of a faint pink aura that moves like mist around him. Zanpakutō Gōonhonryū (轟音奔流, Roaring Torrent) While sealed, Gōonhonryū appears as a normal katana with a bronze rectangular guard with 3 wavey lines on the left and right side, similiar to the characters that represent water. *'Shikai:' Its release command is Turn the tide. Pale red energy swirls around the blade like liquid composed of hundreds of blossom pedals. Akihiko's spiritual pressure rises as he begins twirling the spiraling energy now morphing into a long rod. Once he clutches the center of the energy firmly, his weapon immediately stops spinning and the energy pedals washes off to reveal its new form. It appears as a double bladed, double headed voulge connected by a large ring surrounding the handle that acts as a guard. The blades are a cool steel with the inner area red plated, while the ring guard is painted red on the outer area and the inner ring is padded for protection. : Shikai Special Ability: By constantly spinning it counterclockwise, Gōonhonryū has the ability to accumulate energy and store it within itself. Energy can also be gathered when the blade is struck by an attack by transferring a partial of it into the pool being gathered within it. Akhiko knows instinctively how much energy has been stored within Gōonhonryū and gauge its level. Once the appropriate amount of energy is collected, Akihiko will then spin the blade clockwise, releasing all the accumulated energy in one powerful pale pink stream of energy composed of the same cherry blossoms that emerged during its transformation. The attack power is based on the amount of energy is collected, but at full strength, Gōonhonryū is capable of completely destroying a large Arrancar through punishing concussive force. The energy possesses tremendous force and can pulverize rock or bend steel if enough energy is gathered. :* Throwing: Akihiko is also capable of throwing Gōonhonryū like a boomerang, though he prefers not to as its difficult to control and catch in times of combat. He was able to defeat Inigo by throwing Gōonhonryū and distracting him long enough for the blade to return and strike him.